Cover with Vertically Stretchable Side Panels and Horizontally Stretchable Corner Panels

ABSTRACT

A cover has a top panel with a peripheral edge comprising opposing length edges and opposing width edges transverse to the length edges. A side panel extends from the top panel along each length edge of the top panel. An end panel extends from the top panel along each width edge of the top panel. A corner panel is attached to the top panel and extends between each side panel and each end panel. The side panels and the end panels are formed from a material configured to be more stretchable in a direction transverse to the top panel peripheral edge than in a direction parallel to the top panel peripheral edge. The corner panels are formed from a material configured to be more stretchable in the direction parallel to the top panel peripheral edge than in the direction transverse to the top panel peripheral edge.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY

The disclosure relates to a cover, for instance, a mattress cover, bedsheet, or a cover for a cushion of furniture, such as a sofa or chairseat cushion. The cover has vertically stretchable side panels andhorizontally stretchable corner panels. In particular, the cover hasside walls that have more vertical stretch than horizontal stretch, andcorner panels that have a more horizontal stretch than vertical stretch.The corner panels are shaped such that when they are joined to the sidepanels and the cover is installed, there is a smooth transition from theside panels to the corner panels around the object on which the cover isinstalled.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a covercomprising a mattress cover.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial elevational view taken from detail area2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial side elevational view taken from detailarea 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial side elevational view taken from detailarea 4-4 of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1-4 show an exemplary embodiment of the cover 10 comprising amattress cover. The cover 10 is installed on a mattress 12 and coversthe mattress such that the mattress is not seen. The cover 10 generallycomprises a top panel 14 and side panels extending from peripheral edgesof the top panel. Because the mattress 12 is generally rectangular inshape, the cover 10 of FIG. 1 has a rectangular top panel 14 with alength “L” and a width “W”. The top panel 14 may have other shapesdepending upon the configuration of the object on which the cover isinstalled. For instance, by way of example and not in any limitingsense, the top panel 14 may be a triangle, square, hexagon, octagon,etc. The side panels may extend from peripheral edges of the top paneland may at least partially enclose the object, at least partially coverthe object, and/or at least assist in maintaining the cover over theobject.

Depending upon the application of the cover 10 and the use desired to bepromoted, the top panel 14 may be formed from an appropriate material.For instance, the top panel 14 may be quilted to provide a desiredsoftness, for instance, when the cover is configured to be used as amattress cover. The top panel 14 may be fabric, for instance, when thecover is promoted for use as a bed sheet or cushion cover. The top panel14 may include water impermeable or leak resistant materials. The toppanel 14 may also include natural fibers, synthetic fibers, blends,non-woven materials, foam, rubber, or flexible plastic sheets, orinelastic material, as desired.

For purposes of illustrating the features shown in FIG. 1-4, and not inany limiting sense, the side panels 16 extending from the peripheraledges of the top panel along the length “L” may be referred to as “sidepanels,” and the side panels 18 extending from the peripheral edges ofthe top panel along the width “W” may be referred to as “end panels.”The end panels 18 of the cover of FIGS. 1-4 may be similar inconstruction to the side panels 16, but have a different longitudinallength. As shown in FIGS. 1-4, the cover 10 has two side panels 16extending along length edges of the cover and two end panels 18extending along width edges of the cover. The side and end panels 16,18extend from the peripheral edges of the top panel to form a box-likeshape for the cover 10. The side and end panels 16,18 may be sewn orotherwise joined to the peripheral edges of the top panel 14. The sideand panels 16,18 may be configured to stretch more in a directiontransverse to the top panel peripheral edge (i.e., vertically in thedrawings), than in a direction parallel to the top panel peripheral edge(i.e., horizontally in the drawings). In other words, the side panels 16may be configured to stretch more in a direction transverse to the toppanel length edge than in a direction parallel to the top panel lengthedge, and the end panels 18 may be configured to stretch more in adirection transverse to the top panel width edge than in a directionparallel to top panel width edge. As shown in FIG. 1, the top paneldefines a plane when the cover 10 is installed on the mattress 12.Accordingly, the side panels 16 may be configured to stretch more in adirection that is transverse to the plane defined by the top panel 14than in a direction that is parallel to the plane defined by the toppanel. Likewise, the end panels 18 may be configured to stretch more ina direction that is transverse to the plane defined by the top panel 14than in a direction that is parallel to the plane defined by the toppanel. The side and end panels 16,18 may be of such a length and widththat when the cover 10 is installed over the mattress 14, the side andend panels cover the sides and ends of the mattress, or other objectdepending upon the application and use desired to be promoted. The sideand end panels 16,18 may be configured to allow sufficient verticalstretching in a direction “T” to cover the sides and ends of themattress 12, or other object depending upon the application and usedesired to be promoted.

As shown in FIGS. 1-4, corner panels 20 are provided between theadjacent side and end panels 16,18. The corner panels 20 may attach tothe top panel 14 and extend downward between the side and end panels16,18. The corner panels 20 may be sewn or otherwise joined to the toppanel 14. Side edges 22 of the corner panels 20 may be attached to theadjacent side and end panels 16,18. The corner panel side edges may besewn or otherwise joined to the respective edges of the side and endpanels 16,18. The corner panels 20 may be configured such that theystretch more horizontally than they do vertically. In other words, thecorner panels 20 may be configured to stretch more in a direction thatis generally parallel to the peripheral edge of the top panel than in adirection that is generally transverse to the peripheral edge of the toppanel. The corner panels 20 may be configured to stretch more in adirection that is parallel to a plane defined by the top panel than adirection that is transverse to the plane defined by the top panel whenthe top panel is installed on an object, for instance, a mattress orcushion.

The material forming the side, the end, and the corner panels 16,18,20may be made from materials having natural or man-made fibers or othernon-woven material. The side, the end, and the corner panels 16,18,20may be made from the same material or different material. The side andend panels 16,18 may be arranged such that their material stretches morein the vertical direction than in the horizontal direction. Indistinction, the corner panels 20 may be arranged such that theirmaterial stretches more in the horizontal direction than in the verticaldirection. In one example, the side, the end, and the corner panels16,18,20 may be made from a fabric. The fabric may have courses. Thecourses may be arranged in accordance with the desired stretch. Forinstance, the side and end panels 16,18 may be arranged such that theircourses 24 promote stretching in a direction transverse to theperipheral edge of the top panel 14, thereby allowing the side and endpanels to stretch vertically more than horizontally. The corner panels20 may be arranged such that the courses 26 promote stretching of thefabric in a direction parallel to the plane defined by the top panel,thereby allowing the corner panels to stretch more horizontally thanvertically. The corner panels 20 may have their courses 26 arranged in adirection transverse to the direction of the courses of the side and endpanels 16,18. In one example, the fabric comprising the side panels, theend panels, and the corner panels may be a knit jersey material. Theknit jersey material may be single or double knit. The material formingone or more of the side, end, and corner panels 16,18,20 may alsocomprise a one-way stretch fabric. In another example, the material forthe side and end panels 16,18 may have approximately 60 percent stretchvertically, and the material for the corner panels 20 may haveapproximately 60 percent stretch horizontally, the percentages ofstretch being determined using industry standard fabric tests, forinstance, ASTM-D2594 or equivalent. Depending upon the use of the cover,the material of the side, end, and corner panels 16,18,20 may be variedas needed.

The side edges 22 of the corner panels 20 may be curved to provide theappearance of a seamless transition from the side panel 16 to the endpanel 18. The side edges 22 may be curved to provide the corner panel 20with an hourglass-type shape or trapezoidal shape. The corner panels 20may have a general trapezoidal shape prior to being joined to the toppanel 14 and the side and end panels 16,18. The side and end panels16,18 may be generally rectangular in shape prior to being joined to thetop panel 14 and the corner panels 20.

A distal edge 28 of the side and end panels 16,18, and the corner panels20 may be stretchable. For instance, an elastic material may be appliedto the distal edge 28 of the side panels, the end panels, and the cornerpanels to facilitate securing the cover around a mattress or cushion.Corners of the cover 10 may also be provided with straps (not shown) tofacilitate securing the cover to a mattress or a cushion. The strapsand/or other underside areas of the side, the end, or the corner panelsmay be provided with a non-skid material that reduces or preventsslippage to facilitate anchoring the cover to a mattress or cushion. Thenon-skid material may be silicone material deposited as a continuousstrip or intermittent pads on the surface of the strap or cover. As oneexample, the distal edge 28 of the side and end panels 16,18, and thecorner panels 20 may have a silicone material applied in such a way thatthe silicone material engages the object on which the cover is installedand/or a supporting surface on which the covered object is supported.For example, the silcone material may be applied to both sides of thedistal edge 28 so the cover may engage the mattress and a box spring onwhich the mattress is disposed.

The cover 10 may be promoted for use as a mattress cover, bed sheet, ora cover for a cushion of furniture, such as a sofa or chair seatcushion. The cover 10 may be promoted in or on the packaging of thecover via text, pictures, graphics, and indicia. Additionally, the cover10 may be sold individually or together with other like covers and maybe combined with other products as desired.

While the specific embodiments have been described, it should beunderstood that all matter contained in the above description or shownin the accompanying drawings is intended to be interpreted asillustrative and not in a limiting sense and that various modificationsand variations may be constructed without departing from the scope ofthe invention defined by the following claims and their equivalents.

1-11. (canceled)
 12. A cover comprising: a top panel having sidesextending around a periphery of the top panel with adjacent sidesforming a corner therebetween, the top panel defining a plane when thecover is installed on an object; a side panel extending from each sideof the top panel, a corner panel attached to the top panel and extendingbetween each adjacent side panel; wherein each side panel is configuredto stretch more in a direction transverse to the plane defined by thetop panel than in a direction parallel to the plane defined by the toppanel; and wherein the corner panels are configured to stretch more inthe direction parallel to the plane defined by the top panel than in thedirection transverse to the plane defined by the top panel.
 13. Thecover of claim 12 wherein the side panels and corner panels are formedfrom a fabric.
 14. The cover of claim 13, wherein the fabric hascourses, and the side panels and corner panels are arranged such thatthe courses of the side panels are arranged in a direction of greaterstretch that is transverse to the plane defined by the top panel and thecourses of the corner panels are arranged in a direction of greaterstretch that is parallel to the plane defined by the top panel.
 15. Thecover of claim 14, wherein the side and the corner panels are formedfrom the same fabric material.
 16. The cover of claim 12 wherein thecover is promoted for use as a bed sheet.
 17. The cover of claim 12wherein the cover is promoted for use as a mattress cover.
 18. The coverof claim 12 wherein the cover is promoted for use as a furniture seatcushion cover.
 19. The cover of claim 12 wherein each side panel andeach corner panel is sewed to the top panel.
 20. The cover of claim 12wherein each corner panel has first and second opposite edges parallelto the top panel, the first edge is coterminous with the top panel andlonger than the second edge.
 21. The cover of claim 12 wherein eachcorner panel has edges attached to adjacent side panels, the cornerpanel edges are curved.
 22. The cover of claim 12, wherein at least oneof the side panels and corner panels has a non-skid material appliedthereto.
 23. A cover comprising: a top panel having a peripheral edgecomprising opposing length edges and opposing width edges transverse tothe length edges, a side panel extending from the top panel along eachlength edge of the top panel; an end panel extending from the top panelalong each width edge of the top panel; and a corner panel attached tothe top panel and extending between each side panel and each end panel;wherein the side panels and the end panels are formed from a materialconfigured to be more stretchable in a direction transverse to the toppanel peripheral edge than in a direction parallel to the top panelperipheral edge; and wherein the corner panels are formed from amaterial configured to be more stretchable in the direction parallel tothe top panel peripheral edge than in the direction transverse to thetop panel peripheral edge.
 24. The cover of claim 23 wherein the cornerpanels and the side and the end panels are formed from the samematerial.
 25. The cover of claim 23 wherein the cover is promoted foruse as a bed sheet.
 26. The cover of claim 23 wherein the cover ispromoted for use as a mattress cover.
 27. The cover of claim 23 whereinthe cover is promoted for use as a furniture seat cushion cover.
 28. Thecover of claim 23 wherein each side panel and each end panel is sewed tothe top panel.
 29. The cover of claim 23 wherein each corner panel has afirst edge coterminous with the top panel peripheral edge and a secondedge spaced from and parallel to the first edge, the first edge islonger than the second edge.
 30. The cover of claim 23 wherein eachcorner panel has a first edge attached to the side panel and a secondedge attached to the end panel, and the first and second edges arecurved.
 31. The cover of claim 23 wherein the material of the sidepanels, the end panels, and the corner panels comprises a fabric withcourses.
 32. The cover of claim 31 wherein the courses of the cornerpanel are arranged in a direction of greater stretch that is parallel tothe top panel peripheral edge and the courses of the side and end panelsare arranged in a direction of greater stretch that is transverse to thetop panel peripheral edge.
 33. The cover of claim 23 wherein each of theside panels, each of the end panels and each of the corner panels has astretchable edge opposite the top panel.
 34. The cover of claim 23wherein at least one of the side panels, end panels and corner panelshas a non-skid material applied thereto.